The Fantasy Mythos: Portals Beyond Paradise
by CombatSniper32
Summary: Gensokyo is being threatened by the forces of the Mythos. Strange creatures prowl the Forest of Magic, mirages of taint appear on the shores of Misty Lake, and a foul mist hides buildings that have only recently appeared. Gensokyo's defenders have averted many crisis in the past, but can they join forces again to stop an invasion from worlds beyond?
1. Prologue

**The Fantasy Mythos**

It was a cold autumn night, early in the month of September in the peaceful country of Japan. It was not a biting cold, nor was it one that was pleasant. It was the kind that was tolerable but would drive one wanting to go back indoors for a cup of hot tea. One may have thought that, this was an ordinary night for all in the country. Yes, it was. Nothing in particular was happening on the planet itself but far out, in dimensions beyond human understandings, something great was happening.

The three stars of Orion's belt aligned perfectly and the constellation of Sagittarius pointed directly at Polaris, the North Star. The barriers that separated deity from man, those older than the Earth itself began to weaken. Why? As of yet, nobody knows. These slight tremors in the fabrics of space and boundary swept the globe. People like you and I, would have passed them off as minor earthquakes. Especially in Japan, where minute shifting of the tectonic plates below them were common place.

Not the inhabitants of Gensokyo though. In a place where magic was common place and mythical creatures that appeared only in legends were even more so omnipresent, people knew that there tremors spelt much more than a few pots and pans falling off shelves.

In fact, by the very nature of Gensokyo existing silently besides the world inhabited by man, slightly closer to a cosmic Lay Line made the effects of these tremors more pronounced. Anything, abilities, affinities or otherwise that did not come as second nature to anyone in Gensokyo were immediately locked away by the forces of the mythos, rendering many, many Youkai of the realm either flightless, powerless or both.

Strange symbols spelt in the tongue of the ancients caressed the night sky, flirting with the stars. In the day, the sky would be overcast, much like modern day London with the sun only appearing once every couple of hours. When the sun was not around, its rays shorn through the dark clouds which rolled around the skies in random patterns, much like maggots under one's skin.

Obviously this was an incident. Believed the 'playable cast' or so called them by the locals of Gensokyo as they were the ones who most often resolved incidents, either alone or with each other. And so, as usual, they got to investigation immediately. Unfortunately for them, the incident was… Unique in its own way, for good or bad, take it as you will. It most certainly was not a regular, beat someone up, kind of incident.

And let us not forget that incidents or cataclysms on this scale did not merely draw the attention of powerful girls in a mystical wonderland. Such an event, the twilight of humanity should nothing be done about it, would draw the attention of others who are keen to intervene in such a thing. The girls of Gensokyo are not alone. That statement, shall be left as it is.

It should also be noted that not everyone has Gensokyo's best interest at heart... the whispers of the mythos can tempt even the strongest mind, and strange pacts with creatures from beyond the veil promise far more power than anyone could ever imagine…

* * *

 **Das Author's Note:**

 **Hi everyone! This time, I am writing another story. Why am I writing another story despite not having finished the other one, you may ask? Well, I decided I'd try something different, something more fantasy horror ish than sci-fi all the time. You may like it, you may not, but whatever it is, do stick around. It will be a really enjoyable ride... I hope. Thank you once again for picking this book up to read and I would update this semi-regularly. Happy times.**


	2. Investigation Twilight - H,Reimu

**Investigation Twilight – Reimu**

Another morning, another day. Through the slits of my shrine window shorn the early morning rays of light. Sitting up from bed, I stretched and heard a few cracks in my lower back. It had been hurting for the past two weeks, ever since the skies got progressively dimmer and I have no idea why. My flight abilities have also gotten weaker and weaker as the sun's rays faded, so much so that I even have difficulties getting myself off the ground now. I fear in a couple of days, my blessings of flight will be forfeit.

I have gone over to Eirin's clinic once or twice in the last couple of days or so. Both days, the princess and Eirin herself were absent. They went to the bright side of the moon to stargaze or so the resident rabbit told me. I know Reisen is trustworthy, but the doctor? I know she and the princess can be scheming at times but I do not believe that they would use the ruse of stargazing to go and do something funny. If that were the case, I'd have already knocked some sense into them long ago. That, I'll have to take as fact… At least for now.

Well, I can't keep worrying. I have my miko duties to attend to, although I am worried that my… Secondary job may become much more challenging in the near foreseeable future. Sitting up from my futon, I notice my back pain has ceased. Strange, I would think. Why would such a pain disappear upon me simply sitting straight up? I could not get an answer, and thus I would choose to ignore it. No point worrying about something you can't do right?

"Ribbon, check. Gohei, check." I mumbled to myself as I fumbled around in my dimly lit, cramped room at the back of the shrine. Today, I am using my third miko uniform. The first had holes burnt throughout due to a, how would I put it, an intervention of a fight between a god and a trigger happy witch. The second was soiled with dirt and mud because it rained during my trip to the human village and had not enough energy to fly back home… Speaking of Marisa, I wonder how she is doing. Knowing her, she might have gone and tackled this 'incident' we are having right now, although I'd hesitate to call it an incident because as of yet, the humans of the village, the Youkai of the many vast forests and plains of Gensokyo have paid little to no attention to the sudden change of weather. That being said, that is also what worries me the most.

Stepping out onto the front porch, just before where my donation box stood, I walked over to the tori gate at the end of the yard. The flight of stone steps led all the way down into a small clearing in the forests below. A dirt path would lead straight to the human village from here. Perhaps I would get more worshippers if the road was actually paved. I mean, having saved Gensokyo numerous times before and not getting any thanks after, you'd think I would get used to it.

Speaking of which… I walked right back to the shrine and opened the lid of the donation box. My heart skipped a beat. Was that a coin? Finally! And then my hopes were well and truly crushed shortly after. There was not one, but three items in my donation box. A piece of paper; a weird, hook shaped object and a little circular piece of rusted metal.

"Who on Earth…" I grumbled to myself. "What the hell are these anyway?"

I picked up the hooked shaped object. The object glinted in the dim morning light. Examining it closer, I identified two holes at the end of the object, three protruding struts and a grip. It definitely was not an item one would find in mainland Gensokyo. Maybe one might find these things in Muenzuka, but not being an avid visitor of that place, I would not know. A throbbing sensation filled my head when I picked the object up. It was not painful, but it was… an otherworldly sensation. A voice that sounded much like my own but completely different at the same time kept muttering one word, over and over again. I focused on the voice, unsure of what to make of it… Derringer. That was what I could hear. What does that mean? Who is that? My questions remained unanswered. Perhaps, it would best remain so. I don't fancy losing my head this morning anyway.

Putting away the 'Derringer', I picked up the circular metal object from the bottom of the box. It had a weird, smooth feel to it despite its unrefined nature of manufacture. Unlike coins in Gensokyo, at least I assume it is a coin, this one did not have a hole through its centre. Instead, amidst the dull red rust and grime I could see the… Face of a man? Is someone sealed in that thing? I focused my spirit energy… Even that seems to be fading away. Please God of Hakurei Shrine, have I not been praying to you recently? I need your strength to continue my job… Oh, it is really just the picture of a man in the coin. What was I so worried about? Something really is nagging at the back of my head and I can't put a finger on what it really is.

Huff. Huff. I can hear my own breathing. My heartbeat is already in my ears. The sound of each beat rang crystal clear. My hands are already shaking and I can hear the dull clicking of my own teeth. I reached out for the piece of paper with trembling hands and then I stopped. Turning on instinct, and from the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow shift in the forest that surrounded my shrine.

"W-Who's there?!" I heard a loud, panicked shriek, only to realise later that it was my own. Something is seriously going wrong now. The thought raced through my mind. I have never seen anything like it. A shadow so large and able to move so quickly… It seemed so unreal.

I brought the piece of paper up to my face. Part of it drooped downwards due to the weight of an unknown white crystal. The paper had numerous, parallel red lines running across the horizontal and there were words written in some sort of powdery ink. The symbols of text were alien to me. I have never seen such a language before and yet, I understood the message with perfect clarity. The white crystal pulsed, and the meaning of the text immediately popped into my head.

Amidst the loud rustling of leaves, I could hear a voice, not my own but that of someone… Someone very distant and… In distress.

"To whom it may concern." It began. "I don't know if this letter would ever get out, but if you are reading this, you must be from another world. I am a scholar of the University of Lancashire, Ministry of Occultism. My world has been invaded by a shadow. I don't know who or what it is but I have failed. The shadow is closing in onto me so I am as good as dead. I have the ability to incite runes in the Ancient Language, so I have attached a translator to this letter should land in the hands of a foreigner. The letter will be teleported out of this dimension and into yours. If you are reading this, congratulations. You have to continue my work for me. I did not have much time, but if luck is on your side, you do. The entire fate of the multiverse hinges on this. More than one universe will cease to exist. I know this sounds cliché but that is how the cookie crumbles. One more thing, for the sake of the dignity of my family and myself, whom I have failed, I just want you all to know that the shadow did not get me."

The bottom of the page is caked with dried blood. Cold sweat formed over my entire body. Is this going to happen to Gensokyo?! It can't be! I need to go now. I have to find Akyuu. Maybe she has something to tell me… Maybe I… No, I have to succeed, this is my job after all.

I stood up and prepared to go. The shrine warehouse contained everything I needed. Since my magic was withering away, I am going to have to prepare more thoroughly this time. Food, water, talismans, maybe a change of clothes… I am not sure how bad the incident has gotten already, but I have only just confirmed it as such so it can't be that bad… Right?

I walked over to the tori gate of the shrine. The sky was clearing up slightly but did not produce very much change in the level of lighting in the area. I stared down the stone steps and the darkness of the forest stared back. Suddenly the darkness jumped. Like a giant mass of unholiness, it came crawling up the hillside to the shrine, and it was the black thing of a nightmare. It looked vaguely like a… Black ropey, slimy, jelly tree-thing out of the woods. It crawled up and it flowed up on its hoofs and mouths and snaky arms.

Just seeing something so large move so quickly made my head spin. My heart pounded out of my chest and I felt my legs grip the ground in sheer anxiety and fright. The thing drew closer, and closer at a terrifying rate.

Reimu! Reimu! Move! Now! I yelled at myself. Just seeing the thing tower over me, at least four to five meters in height was terrifying. It roared with a blood curdling thunder and that was what shook me out of my daze. I shut my eyes as tightly as I could and dove as far right as I could, barely dodging one of its attacking appendages.

I cleared about ten meters of distance with my jump and limited flight capabilities, rolled on the ground for a few extra meters, kicking up significant amounts of loose dirt before up-righting myself against the trunk of a tree. I stared at the monster and still could not bare to look at it directly. It was a grotesque abomination so horrifying that even I could not take it.

I cannot come close to describe that thing fully but, it stood as tall as my shrine, if not taller on stumpy hoofed legs. A mass of tentacles protruded from their trunks where a head would normally be, and puckered maws, dripping green goo, cover their flanks. The monsters roughly resembled trees in silhouette — the trunks being the short legs and the tops of the trees represented by the ropey, branching bodies. The whole mass of the thing smelt like an open grave up close.

It charged again, destroying whatever was in its path. I leapt upwards as high as I could and launched a barrage of talismans from above. It stumbled from the multitude of projectiles hitting its tentacles but other than that, it seemed uninjured. It crashed through the tree I was leaned back on with no effort at all, stopped almost on a dime and charged back at me.

I jumped into the air again, easily clearing the height of the creature. I prepared my attack but I soon found myself hanging by the leg from a tentacle that had reached out and ensnared me. Apparently it was smarter than it looked.

"AH! No! Let me go!" A voice echoed screaming as I continued hitting the groping appendage with my gohei. Green goo slathered my gohei as I continued the assault.

I yanked myself leftwards, dodging another attacking tentacle. The slippery mass grazed my right arm. It's unearthly texture, moist and grainy texture is enough to send shivers up my spine.

One more hit to the tentacle with a directed magical attack sent it flying. Having ripped it completely off the head of the creature, it jerked upwards and roared. I spiralled downwards and nailed what I would imagine as its head with a bomb amulet.

The creature howled and wailed, thrashing its tentacles around the air as I held onto its body with a death grip that threatened to break my fingernails. I placed the hook shaped object, the 'Derringer' onto the amulet and, devoid of a better solution, pulled the protruding strut located at its bottom.

Bang! A deafening report rang clear from the 'Derringer' in my hands. There was a bright flash, a mixture of colourful red and purple and plain white, and the monster's head was split wide open.

With a howl that split the skies and shook the heavens, the monstrosity fell to the Earth, smashing anything and everything beneath it. My whole body felt weightless for a split second before I was brought right back to reality with a sharp impact that resonated through my body beginning from my right arm.

It hurts… Ah!

I shot up from the ground, still grasping my right arm. I don't think I broke anything, but by God, it hurts. I turned back to the unmoving carcass of the creature. It's head had been blown apart, with the origin coming from where I had placed the amulet.

I lifted the Derringer, still smoking from the hole in the front, up and found that I could actually split it in two… My eyes widened in shock before realizing that I had not exactly broken it. Two sleek bronzy cylinders slid out of the holes and fell to the ground with a twinkle.

Whatever this thing was… I appreciate what it has done but I have no idea what to do with it now. I pulled the trigger again. A dull click was all I heard.

Let me summarise my next course of action… For my sake of course. I need to make my way to the Human Village. It is my best bet for finding some information on what the hell is up with Gensokyo… And then find Akyuu as well. She might have some useful insights.

My whole body shuddered. I am now flightless, powerless, and almost incapable of danmaku. But as the shrine maiden of paradise, it is my job to resolve the incident…

I shivered again at that thought. I straightened the straps of my bag and disappeared into the dark forests below.

* * *

 **Hakurei Reimu – Shrine Maiden of Paradise**

 **I don't know what is going on. In fact, I don't want to know. But whatever is happening endangers Gensokyo and all that I hold dear to. I can't let this 'God' of whatever take these things away. Let's go to the Human Village. It may give me a lead.**

 **Inventory: Shrine Knapsack; Near-Infinite number of amulets of various natures; Gohei; Food and Water for** **4** **days; Derringer** **(No ammo); British Penny**

 **Health:** **Minor scratches and bruisers**

 **Sanity: Minor headache.**

 **Taint: 0%**

* * *

Das author's note.

Hello everyone. Liking the new writing style? I hope you do. It was a little awkward to write so I hope that it did not sound too weird to you all. Note that I have also added an inventory tab to the end of the story. You can use this as a sort of TL;DR for understanding what is going on if you did not understand the actual story. With that, that's the end of the author's note, have a great day!


	3. Investigation Twilight - I,Sakuya

**Investigation Twilight – Sakuya**

"Sakuya!"

I dropped everything and sprinted to the origin of the sound.

"Yes, Ojou-sama?" I inquired, doing my best to hide my heavy breathing.

"That took five seconds, much longer than usual." Lady Remilia stated with a hint of concern in her voice. "Are you feeling unwell today?

"No, Ojou-sama. I am fine. Thank you very much for your concern. What may I help you with Ojou-sama."

"First and foremost," Lady Remilia said, sternly. "I would appreciate it if you'd stop hiding things from me, cease your perjury and tell me what is happening to you."

I felt my back stiffen instantaneously and shivers of unparalleled magnitudes coursed up my spine like electrical currents.

"A-Ah, I-I… Err, my sincerest apologies Ojou-sama… I… Think I am losing my powers."

Lady Remilia nodded her head, prompting me to continue.

"My World is fading. My touch on the chronos barriers are fading rapidly and I fear that I am unable to manipulate them as well as I used to be able to. Even when I am able to, it exhausts me to the point of unconsciousness. I am afraid I am losing my powers… I am so sorry Oj…"

Lady Remilia extended her palm, causing me to stop mid-sentence.

"No need. I don't require your apology. However, as my one and only trusted servant in this residence of mine, I will let you in on a little secret."

"Y-Yes, Ojou-sama?"

"I am also losing my powers. Coincidence? I don't think so."

"Ojou-sama!" I almost half yelled. "What should I do?!"

My mistress sighed and waved her hand in my direction.

"There you go again." She said nonchalantly. "Worrying more about me than yourself. Whilst I appreciate the thought, it might get you in trouble one day."

"I am sor…"

"And you apologise too much. Geez, it is fine."

I opened my mouth to apologise yet again but held it. I closed my mouth again.

Lady Remilia got up elegantly from her bed and walked over to the crystal glass window that overlooked the Misty Lake. She opened the window and much to my worry, leaned out of it and breathed deeply.

"See for yourself. That is an incident, is it not?"

I swiftly made my way over to Ojou-sama's side. Staring out of the window, I was surprised, shocked even, to see the mass of rolling dark clouds in the sky. The lake looked awfully more misty than it usually was. Tumbling masses of thick white fog caressed the water surface and occasional brief flashes of shadows could even be seen in the fog. The air that blew in from the window smelt clear and fresh, but it weighed heavy; as though it were coating my lungs with tar.

"When did this become so serious?!" I half-yelled, startling Lady Remilia a little. "How could I have missed such a thing?! Oh, I am so sorry Ojou-sama. It won't happen again!"

"You spent all your time in the mansion. Burying yourself in work and duties. Seeing how the corridors have gotten less spacious and clean, no doubt you are losing your powers and time itself. You are pushing yourself too hard."

"But…"

"No buts. I order you to take a break. The fairies can do your job, albeit with a significantly lower standard and performance, but it will do for now."

"Ojou-sama, I cannot sit around doing nothing all day. I have duties to take care of."

"Well, your duty is now to take a break." Lady Remilia snapped. "If you are really so restless, perhaps you can go and play with Flandre on the pretext of looking after her. And then, go and take a walk to the human village and bring back some flowers. White roses would be nice."

I took a step back and bowed slightly.

"As you wish Ojou-sama. Thank you."

* * *

As Lady Reimila had given me two choices, I chose the latter option. The former would be more time consuming. The pathway to the human village was rather unfamiliar to me. The beaten dirt track rarely saw use by myself and my colleagues, see as how we would usually fly. Today, I found myself too tired to do so, and therefore, here I am. And didn't Lady Remilia tell me to walk? Disobeying her is the last thing I'd conceive of doing.

All things considered, it is actually nice to take walks from time to time. It helps one slow down and take things easy for a change. If the sky was brighter and I did not have to worry about an impending disaster, the walk would have been more pleasant.

The young lady at the local botanist stared at me with cold and empty eyes. Being a vampire's most loyal servant tends to bring this kind of reaction to your presence. What was strange however, was that I frequent her store and by now she'd ought to have remembered my face already.

After an exchange of coins, she handed the bouquet to me without a word. Her eyes told me to leave immediately. I did. Apparently it was not only the young lady that acted in such strange ways. The villagers looked suspicious of everything. Their eyes darted around, stares like daggers directed towards anyone who could potentially harm them. Yes, including myself.

Their skin and eyes seem drained of colour. They were shambling around seeming aimless, hopeless and soulless…

"Sakuya-san?"

"A-Ah! Who's… Oh… It's you Reimu." I turned, startled at first and then relieved after. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. It's just nice to see a familiar face in times like this…" Her voice trailed off.

I looked at her from head to toe. Her clothes were covered with dust and patches were stained with mud. I noted a few scratches and a sizeable bruise on her upper right arm. It is unusual to see the shrine maiden get injured so badly, even during an incident…

"I can feel it in the air." Reimu muttered. "I can feel a dull crackling sensation on the back of my hands and a ringing noise in my ears… Do you know that is an indication of otherworldly magic?"

"Huh?" I opened my mouth to inquire further but I was interrupted.

"I need help, any help would do. I don't think I can do this on my own. Even if it were, I… Oh, I am so sorry, I was rambling."

"Are you sure you are OK?" I asked in the nicest sounding voice I could possibly muster.

"Y-Yeah, I am fine. What are you doing in a place like this carrying such a huge bouquet of white roses?"

"Carrying out my mistress' will. How about you?"

"I am looking for Hieda Akyuu, the Child of Miare. I need to know more about what is going on in Gensokyo before I can carry out my investigation."

"I see… Do tell me if you need help. I have a dreadful feeling that something terrible is going to happen."

"O-Of course. That makes two of us… Be careful."

I smiled lightly.

"Indeed. Take care."

"You too." Reimu replied sounding enthusiastic and yet hollow at the same time. "I may sound weird saying this but, try to listen to the voices. They may be helpful but do take discretion. I still don't trust them fully."

"W-What?" I tried to ask.

But my reply never came. Reimu dissolved into the crowd.

* * *

The walk back to the mansion was unnerving but uneventful. Even the shrine maiden knew something was off. I mean, obviously something was off. But what? And why wasn't anything done about it earlier? Damn! I should have been more observant.

The gatekeeper, Meiling, was missing. No surprise though. I do not even remember the last time she was actually present at the gate and not asleep. It is evening, it's not even her break time. I should go and reprimand her the next time I see her, I thought to myself as I opened the large, foreboding and yet familiar double doors.

I placed the bouquet of white roses into a red china vase, and then prepared to go into the basement. Lady Remilia also instructed me to go and play with Lady Flandre after all, so I shall do just that. It's just a little play time, so I won't need to prepare much… right?

Lady Flandre was not present in the basement, despite it having been left exactly as it was two days ago. How on earth she got out of there without blowing gaping holes in the architecture was really beyond me. However, that did not matter. What really matters is that I must find her before Lady Remilia catches wind of this. I must not worry her.

With my powers severely dampened, I was only able to slow time down to about half its normal speed without exhausting myself completely. And even so, only for short periods of time. I am going to have to hurry, especially if I am not going to use my powers. But either way, I am going to get exhausted anyway, so… Here goes.

I am not sure what it was exactly that told me to head for the mansion's clock tower, but here I am, standing before the huge and foreboding legacy of renaissance architecture. Didn't Lady Remilia express concerns about me approaching the tower? I can't remember… No, I will apologise later. I am sure that Lady Flandre is here, I just know it… Somehow. I swallowed my saliva, and with it as much fear as I could. And then I stepped into the only entrance to the clock tower.

My footsteps echoed in sync with the ominous ticking of the clockwork that surrounded me. The silence, apart from the perpetual ticking of the clock's pendulum was deafening. Dust hung in the air, dancing in the light that barely illuminated the musty room.

That smell… I could recognise it anywhere. Instinctively, I dropped into a crouch with my knives in between my fingers. Here would be where I would bring time to a stop. Sliding across the ground, I ended up with my back against one of the larger spring boxes. I tilted my head upwards and sniffed the air. The smell is much stronger, almost as though I were in the mansion's basement food storage. I held my breath and tiptoed around the circumference of my cover. Vaguely, as though it were ringing in my ears, I heard the sound of water dripping. Drip, drip, drip…

I stared at my feet. I would have recoiled in shock if I were not a vampire's most faithful servant. At this point in time, it did not come as much surprise to find myself standing in a pool of fresh red blood.

Lady Fland…! No, it cannot be hers. Despite her petite looks, she can take a large amount of damage and dish out even more. If it's anyone's… Then…

My head jerked back upwards and staring right back at me, was the pale white, dead eyes of a vaguely humanoid creature, hung by a bloodied sickle with a rope that stretched into the darkness above. It's face… Looked nothing like a human.

I wanted to scream. I really did, but held it in literally with my hands. My knives fell to the bloodied floor with an unnerving splash. It's arms and legs were missing, torn off it seemed. I don't even want to question who did it. In fact, I think I have a few ideas…

And then a scream echoed in my ears. That was followed very closely by a second scream which ended very abruptly when I realised it was my own. My eyes were opened wide, bloodshot even. The pair traced the walls to my left before finally resting on a heavy wooden door.

I swallowed my saliva again as I felt a slight shiver crawl its way up my back. I know for a fact that, one, that door was not even supposed to be there. Two, I don't think that scream was human either.

My eyes left the door for a split second to analyse my surroundings. As soon as I had ascertained that I was alone, my eyes returned to the door. Picking up the knives, I returned the bloody weapons to my hands and slowly approached the door.

One bloody corpse lay before me. Although I'd hesitate to call it a corpse. It was more akin to a smear on the ground, so badly mangled that one could not possibly deduce the identify the creature it originated from. The bright red blood that was slathered over the walls and door seemed to have exploded radially from the centre of the room. Little pieces of flesh, organs and bone littered the room, dotting every corner of the room in a spirograph like pattern. And then, from the corner of my eyes, a pretty arrangement of coloured glass crystals danced before disappearing up a flight of stairs at the end of the room.

"Imouto-sama!" I called out. I was replied with maniacal laughter. Followed closely by the soft padding of stalking feet behind me.

Time stopped briefly and I swung the door I came through shut with no more than a glance through the door. My field of view traced rows of dim, reflective yellow dots amidst the darkness and faint mist in the clock tower. I dare not imagine what they were. Perhaps they were the same creatures as the corpses that had revealed themselves to me on the way in.

I fell to my knees. Even such a short use of my chronokinesis abilities had pushed me to a violent nausea. I could feel my mouth opening and closing, gasping for air like a fish out of water. And then I realised it was the overpowering smell of blood and death that was driving me sick. I could no longer hold it. I vomited, powerful muscle contractions and retching forced my gastric contents out of my mouth, which ended in a series of strained coughing.

Pull yourself together Sakuya! I repeated this phrase over and over again in my mind. But despite this, my hands would not stop shaking. You are an Izaoyi, name bearer of the sacred blades. Come on! You have faced more powerful things than these weaklings…

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden bang on the heavy wooden door. One bang, two bangs. The frequency of it increased to a dull thunder akin to raindrops during a stormy night. Dust began to fall from the wood and flakes of rust began to cover the bloody floor, adopting a similar shade of red. It was only when the first crack appeared on the door that I finally stood up and stumbled over to the flight of stairs before me.

It would not be long before the dreaded creatures were upon me. So with as much haste as I could make, I ran and tripped over the spiralling stairs up a tight spire. Even amidst my frantic footsteps and rapid panting, I heard the screech of an entire wooden barricade being brought down to the ground and the screams of whatever was behind me as well as their thundering sprint as they began chasing after me.

Faster! Faster! I could almost see the dim light of the clouded sun up above. The panting sounds got louder and louder. I could already feel the presence of ten… No, hundreds of mindless beasts right behind me and I could almost feel their bony grasping hands reaching out for me.

Almost there… I tumbled through an open wooden door, much like the one downstairs. I reached for the door's oversized handle and pulled it shut, just as the creatures made it to the top. Concentrating as hard as I could, I uttered a few magic words and placed a chronostasis barrier on the door. It isn't as strong as I would have hoped but it will hold… For now.

I turned around and saw a dark silhouette, illuminated only by the rainbow crystals along its back, plastered over the overcast sky.

"Imouto-sama!" I called out again, wincing slightly as my strained voice proved painful for my throat. "Are you alright? You should be in the basement, where it is safe!"

'Lady Flandre' merely turned and with a demeaning air around it, began pacing lightly towards me. A smile… No, a grin formed on her face. My eyes dropped slightly and only now I realised that her hands, up to her shoulders were drenched in fresh red blood. My eyes returned to her face and I immediately saw that her own were as red as her arms and small trails of blood from broken vessels streaked down her face like a pair of rivers.

"Imouto… sama…" I hesitated to speak any louder this time. Clearly 'Lady Flandre' had lost her mind. Actually, I doubt this was even her. In fact…

My thoughts were interrupted as 'Lady Flandre' suddenly stopped and stretched her palm out towards me, all the while giggling and murmuring incoherently. Oh… no.

Time stopped. And I was out of harm's way. Except this time my abilities has caused me to hunch over in agony as my heart and lungs felt as though they were about to implode upon themselves. A deafening explosion ensued, sending vibrations through me and debris everywhere else. On instinct, I hurdled up and luckily, protected myself from most of the damage. Unfortunately, my barrier had been completely compromised.

What remained of the horde was quick to react. The frenzied beings began piling atop one another, reaching out with their elongated arms to whatever life remained in front of them. My vision started to blur. My breath was heavy and strained. I stumbled back to my feet and looked around. 'Lady Flandre' was nowhere to be seen. I've never seen her behave that way before. Sure, she most certainly is… unique mentally but this? It can't be!

Digging my feet as hard as I possibly could into the ground, I felt myself lunge forwards before I tripped over my other foot and my exhausted body crumpled to the ground. My use or, abuse of my abilities have finally taken a toll on my body. I try to lift my body back up. It hurt. I could almost hear my body creaking. I got up to a kneeling position before my head started spinning and the air forced out of my lungs when I landed on my back.

I blinked at the sudden attack and when I opened my eyes, I saw a pair of yellow slits, recessed in deep eye holes. The creature had me. It's claws were already on my shoulders, but strangely, it felt as though it were just a sensation of the mind, as though the creature was not even there at all.

My eyes were held wide open yet again, through shock alone. The other creatures have encircled me by now. Their long, awkwardly thin legs were visible from the corner of my eyes. The one that held me seemed to snarl softly, its mouth, filled with hooked canine teeth, opened and closed slightly. I even thought I could see its breath… But that was not what worried me.

Behind it, the skies and the clock tower began receding. My surroundings began to crumble and distort, as though the fabrics of reality were being torn apart by thousands of unearthly hands right before my eyes. A long, grey, hellish landscape began replacing what was being destroyed. The more I tried to shake the feeling, the more apparent it became to me that I was, in fact, superpositioned between two completely different dimensions and before me was… Death.

No! I will not go down without a fight, as cliché as this may sound, I have to stay alive. For Lady Remilia, and for Lady Flandre. I am master of both time and space! I am… Sakuya Izaoyi!

And with a final exertion of what remained of my physical and mental strength, I shattered reality. Quite literally. Everything broke into thousands of pieces, each piece reflecting the essence of the universe. The presence of the thousands of creatures faded away and eventually, I found myself floating in an endless black void.

The pieces of reality floated before me, like the countless stars lining the night sky. In me, was ironically a feeling of relief instead of fear or awe. My whole body felt limp. As I drifted in the darkness, I slowly let my fatigue take me and fate to lead the way forwards.

* * *

 **Maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion - Sakuya Izayoi**

 **Lady Remilia has noticed a change in Gensokyo before I had. Whatever it is, it's pretty serious and I must do my own investigations into it. I cannot allow it to bring harm to my master and her domain.**

 **Inventory: A Near-Infinite supply of silver knives; A well polished, gold embroidered silver pocket watch**

 **Health: Heavy bruising, coupled with complete exhaustion**

 **Sanity: Cracked, but intact**

 **Taint: 1%**

* * *

Das Author's Note.

Hello again. Long time no see. Sorry for being away so long again. Reasons are still the same. Anyways, again, this chapter was also a bit awkward to write since its in first person, but I tried my best and did it anyways. I am honestly wondering if this story can still remain T, considering the contents of this chapter... Oh well. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless and do savor it... For I am not likely to be back soon. I will try, of course but just prepare for the worst yeah? Who knows, I might get attacked by some trans-dimensional creature, even at the time of writing, which would make this story impossible to finis


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